Pre 1500's
Before the 16th Century and the Spaniards,
Panama was inhabited by the the native
Cuevas and Cocole tribes. However when
the Spaniards arrived in 1501 these
natives disappeared as the Spaniards
brought disease and their weapons with
them. Due to the Location of Panama
it has always been a strategic location
as it is thin and easily crossable from
Pacific to Caribbean.
The Europeans
The first European to arrive in Panama
was Rodrigo de Bastidas from Seville
who had joined Columbus on his 2nd voyage
however had headed towards Columbia
and came across Panama. He scaled the
Caribbean coast through San Blas and
up to Portobelo collecting gold and
Pearls. He would have course have gone
further however due to poor health had
to turn back.
On October 2nd 1502 Columbus arrived
in Panama in the Veraguas region and
was mesmerized by the gold jewelry of
the Kuna Indians. A month or so later
he founded the first Panamanian port
town of Portobelo, a small protected
bay area.
Then on September 25th 151e3 Vasco
Núñez de Balboa who had
accompanied Rodrigo de Bastidas, took
the trip through the now Canal region
to certify that Panama actually did
have two coasts as locals talked about.
When it was found that Panama did have
2 coast. The certification that Panama
had 2 coasts played an importance part
in the Spanish plundering of Peru. While
Spaniards were plundering Peru there
were also building Panama City.
Panama City played the
Pacific base and marketplace for all
Spanish operations and it was used to
bring transport goods to the Spanish
ships to take back to Spain. The route
from Panama City to the Caribbean side
of Panama is known today as the Camino
de Cruces (Road of the Crosses) as you
could not help but see all the grave
sites on the trail.
Toward the end of the
1500s and throughout the 1600s, Panama
was an important center for conquistadors,
smugglers and famous English Seamen
such as Sir Henry Morgan and Sir Francis
Drake, who pillaged and destroyed cities
in Panama.
Emancipation from
Spain, Columbia and the Canal
In 1821 Panama joined
Venezuela, Colombia and Ecuador to form
'Gran' or Greater Colombia. Then in
1830 there was uprise throughout Greater
Columbia the area of Nueva Granada was
created. There was much unrest in the
1840's with many revolts and demands
for independence however Panama always
rejoined the Nueva Granada.
Then in the 1840's the
US signed a treaty with the Columbians
to build the first transoceanic railway.
By the end of 1855 this was finished
and allowed the joining of the Pacific
and Caribbean in under 2 hours by train.
Then in 1880 the French after the success
of the Suez Canal decided to build the
Panama Canal under Ferdinand de Lesseps.
However the attempt was short lived
as many died of Yellow Fever and Malaria.
The French gave up and returned home.
So then in 1902 Roosevelt
persuaded the US to take over the Canal's
building. Between 1904-1914 the US built
the Canal and held control of it until
1999 as under the Torrijos-Carter agreements.
During this time as well
Panama had declared and been given its
independence from Columbia on December
21, 1921.
Panama Today
Panama has forgotten the
Noreiga dictatorship and is now a stable
democratic country that prospers throughout.
